acurator99

I have more than 200K on my 99 TL and so I guess its time again to get the timing belt and water pump replaced.
My question is whether the mechanic will completely drain the old coolant and fill new coolant while replacing the water pump?
Or do I need to explicity pay extra for a coolant flush? Because my coolant is pretty old.

bl3ujay07

coolant will have to be drained completely...unless mechanic wants a wet and messy work place. Either way, coolant will be drained. Good to hear you hit 200k. I am at 198k. Almost there!

Edit: I recommend OEM honda/acura coolant. Supposedly does not have silica??? (or w/e) that other coolants have that causes build up. Or at least that was what i remember reading somewhere.

01tl4tl

just ask the tech to remove the `engine block drain bolt` at rear of engine too
That will let out the last of the trapped old stuff
if they dont know about the drain bolt, dont let them work on your car!

they do drain MOST of the coolant normally--when the wp is removed, it lets out anything behind it~
they also drain the radiator
No reason to pay for a flush we dont need anyway

I use aftermarket coolant labeled FOR ACURA,others insist on OE,,your choice
either way, change it again in 5 years-max. to protect the rad and other aluminum parts

Never hurts to replace rad cap now, and thermostat, plus a few hoses would be a reasonable thing at this mileage/age

acurator99

Thanks guys for the replies. Sorry I am asking this again. While replacing the water pump will the mechanic drain the old coolant and fill new coolant if I do not explicity pay for the coolant flush?

TLer trash

I think your safest bet would be to bring in your own coolant and tell them that you want the car refilled with it. Some places routinely re-use as much of your old coolant as possible, while others will tell you what you want to hear and then fill it with whatever is on hand. Bringing your own fluids generally isn't frowned upon as much as bringing in your own parts. In my opinion, it's also a different vibe when you bring in the highest quality stuff as opposed to the cheapest crap that autozone carrys. It shows that you care about your car rather than just being a cheapskate.

01tl4tl

ASK what they do,,on the TL its hard to save much of the old coolant the way it splatters as it drains

some places may use a machine that cleans and recycles old coolant into `new`
(epa rules on everything now!)
or they may use bottled new coolant--thats what you want

If they use Honda approved or actual honda coolant- all is well
If not- tell them you will bring in honda stuff- the premixed- buy 2 gal, it holds a bit under that

They should remove and clean your res bottle too but most techs are lazy and dont!
You partial jug of new coolant should be returned as proof, and as spare for you to clean the res bottle and refill it to LOW level when cold

a radiator flush involves a machine-- or sometimes a garden hose just like old school 60s to 80s gas station service method
That runs water and a cleaner thru the system forwards and backwards then forward again.
With ours staying pretty clean and healthy aluminum-- if you change the coolant now and then (5 years)
its not a problem we encounter

If you were going to do a cleaning flush, its way better to remove rad and send to repair shop for full take apart and cleaning,,thats better than washing fluid thru and calling it a service
MONEY MAKER is what the shop calls that service,,usually offered to women and older cars as `winter service`,,total bs
Dont pay $100 for their fuel injection cleaning service either, buy 2 cans of seafoam for better results!
I was a service writer- I know their bs

01tl4tl

you should be able to speak directly with the tech assigned to your car- remind them you brought coolant
Also place a large note on steering wheel ATTN TECH; NEW COOLANT SUPPLIED BY CUSTOMER= LOCATED ON PASSENGER SEAT- THANK YOU!!
SEE center console for appreciative gesture (slip a 5 or 10 spot there for `let me buy you breakfast/ lunch/ after work beverage)
you will be surprised how well the tech takes take of your car when a bonus has already been given to them,,maybe a free small part here and there--missing bumper clips replaced etc.

The tech is under-appreciated and mostly hears only of problems-
a thank you goes a long way with them

sammy95

^ DO what he said. Got a 20 as a tip once. Made me do an extra good job.

acurator99

Thank you all for your inputs.
Well basically I explicitly paid for a coolant flush.
Otherwise they said they would have to refill using new coolant and add the cost of the part (new coolant) to the cost of the water pump replacement.
Since I explicitly paid for a coolant flush they deducted the cost of the part (new coolant) from the water pump replacement cost.

acutee

Dont assume, no place will do anything for free. You can't say i want to replace wp, and here are my new belts, tensioners, coolant, replace them when you are at it anyway; it doesn't work that way. mechanics dont work like owners do. they dont need to drain coolant to replace wp. they just remove wp and let coolant burst out, put in new wp and everything, top off coolant and that is it. Any problems down the road are your problems. They dont need to put every bolt back; and if your PS pump failed a week after, that's not their problem. Even if they are familiar perfectly with your car, nothing stops them from shortcuts. They work to make a living and they dont play nice. If you are lucky they wont overcharge you and wont create the wood works. They have to work with the shortest time as possible.

Everything is itemzised.

Someone can say, I want to replace the tire valve and when you are at it here is my new tire. Here is the cost, replace your tire with new valve included and balance for 30 bucks, or replace just the valve for 35, your choice.

They dont like mixed works and extra directions. They can dump or save your coolant for themselves, and put in whatever they like.

acurator99

I never said they would do it for free. I said there is a difference between coolant refill and coolant flush so thats why I got the flush. Ofcourse no one can be sure if they do either with brand new coolant or just fill colored water or perhaps just use the old coolant.
My car has survived many trips to the Mechanics shops for more than 12 years and is in excellent condition now even with more than 200K miles on it. So I guess I haven't been ripped off yet with bad service on my car.